You may have heard that it is impossible to get pregnant if you have diabetes. It’s never impossible, you too can fulfill the dream of becoming a mother.

It will be riskier but you can reduce the risk. Certain instructions and care should be taken by the diabetic patient while planning and during pregnancy

Don’t Worry Diabetics Isn’t A Big Deal

Different Types Of Diabetes

Mainly there are three types of diabetes type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes: The production of hormones is very low

Type 2 diabetes:  Even though the body produces enough insulin, the absorption of the hormone doesn’t takes place

Gestational diabetes:  Diabetes that is developed during pregnancy.

Ready, Set, Go

Planning pregnancy is very important if you are a diabetic patient. Diabetes should not affect your pregnancy as well your fertility. You should seek the help of a doctor and plan your pregnancy accordingly 

Monitor The Level Of Glycated Hemoglobin

You should reach the targeted blood sugar level in the planning process of pregnancy. If you have a very high blood sugar level it is compulsory to reach the ideal level so that you can reduce the risk of miscarriage, birth defect, or stillbirth. Make sure that you test HbA1C frequently and reach the targeted level before conception.

Blood Glucose Level During Pregnancy 

Maintaining an ideal blood glucose level has become more important than before. You don’t want your baby to face any kind of risk during delivery.

The organs of the baby like the heart, kidney, and lungs develop in the initial weeks of pregnancy. The increased amount of sugar level will cause defects in the baby such as heart defects or defects of the brain or spine.

The babies born to diabetic mothers are usually obese. They will suffer from breathing problems as well. Even the mother will also suffer from long-term problems like eye problems and kidney disease. Toxemia which is caused by high blood pressure and protein can even cause life-threatening problems.

You should check the blood sugar level before and after the consumption of meals. Here is recommended glucose level for pregnant women with diabetes.

• It should be 90 or less before meals, bedtime, and lunch
• This can increase upto130 140 or less  one hour after eating 
• Later it should decrease to 120 or less after two hours of eating.
• Folic acids are a savior 

Every pregnant lady should take a certain amount of folic acid during pregnancy. But a higher dosage is recommended for women having diabetes.

You have to consume 5 mg per day. Folic acid has a great advantage in reducing birth defects. It is always good to have folic acid when you prepare for pregnancy.

You should discuss and confirm the dosage after discussing it with a doctor. Usually, doctors recommend folic acid up to 12 weeks of pregnancy,

Be aware Of The Medications

In some cases, food control and diet are not enough. You should take medicines. Since you are pregnant you should be well aware of the ingredients and make sure that they won’t affect or cause any complications to the pregnancy. Metformin is found to be safe. The doctor advises any medicines need to be stopped.

For example, the medicines like statins should be stopped. If you are taking insulin check out with a medical practitioner that is it safe during pregnancy.

Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle 

Moderate exercise and a healthy diet help to maintain a healthy BMI. Fill your diet with vegetables and fruits. Reduce your weight to a healthy weight In order to decrease the complications in the pregnancy.

Here are some healthy diet tips :

• Have three meals and 3 snacks

Try to control your portion size. Eating a lot of portions at a single time tends to increase the blood sugar 

• Small control on dairy products
• As milk sugar can be absorbed quickly, don’t drink too much milk.
• A healthy breakfast is very important. Dry cereals, fruits and milk are not at all good options for breakfast.
• Eat fruits instead of snacks. Have fresh fruits 
• Try to avoid sweets and carbonated drinks 
• Include more fiber in the food.

Stay strong and active

Exercise helps you to reduce weight and to maintain an ideal glucose level in the blood. Make exercise part of your lifestyle. During the baby planning you can try out intense workouts to reach the ideal weight. But be a little careful with the exercise during the pregnancy 

Stop smoking

Smoking can increase diabetes. As a result, you will suffer from eye disease, heart disease, and kidney disease. There is also a high chance of delivering an unhealthy baby if you have high diabetes.

Why Is Regular Checkup Important?

During pregnancy, the health problems concerned by diabetes gets worsened. It can cause high blood pressure, eye disease, heart, and blood vessel disease,

nerve damage, kidney disease, and thyroid disease.

–  The Mom N Baby

Author Info

tmbadmin

Health Based Writer, More than 8 years experience in medical field